


Something Entirely New

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean (RebelliousWhirlpool)



Series: Healing Music Suite No. 1: Love Affair of a Museum Curator and a Doctor [1]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Kissing, Light Angst, Romance, sapphic relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-29 07:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 12,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14468274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelliousWhirlpool/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: A place for the more fluffy romance ficlets I write for the sapphic relationship of Barbara Lake and Zelda Nomura





	1. Adjusting

**Author's Note:**

> Dialogue based on a prompt found on Tumblr (here: otpnerd.tumblr.com/post/173384836691/otp-pan-person-a-what-did-you-do-person-b-i)
> 
> Also me experimenting with writing Nomura, and her dynamic with Barbara since I've never written them before.

“What did you do?”Nomura tried not to sound annoyed.She really put genuine effort into it.A voice in her head reminded her she was still learning and that Barbara understood.In the Janus Order, annoyance went a long way as a means of communication.Nothing ever got accomplished unless she used a tone that implied harsh consequences.But, this wasn’t the Janus Order and there was no need _at all_ for such implications.

The only reason she’d even come close to using that tone today, the smoke alarm’s beeping intrusion into an otherwise peaceful afternoon, had her on edge.Not that it took much.Nomura was regularly on high alert.Watching.Waiting for the inevitable attack.There were rogue Janus Order agents still at large who would not take kindly to her switching sides.Despite her closeness to the Trollhunter’s team and the protection that provided, she knew they’d come for her sooner or later.

Yet, today was not that day, so she could relax.Or at least try to.Or just enter the kitchen to see what trouble Barbara had gotten into, which, once again, begged the question of why the woman still attempted cooking.

“I made pancakes.”Barbara explained sheepishly from where she stood by the stove.“But I forgot to put sugar in them.So they were more like bread-disks.”She held out the pan for Nomura’s inspection.

Nomura walked over to look at the latest of Barbara’s disasters.Her first thought was that pancakes didn’t require sugar.Her second was to remind herself that this was _Barbara_.Her third was curiosity on whether or not Barbara had actually made something right, if completely by accident.

“…so you made bread?”It didn’t look like bread of any kind (and she had seen numerous kinds over the centuries), but Nomura figured asking more questions to clarify what exactly she was looking at was a good strategy.

Barbara looked down at the pan’s contents, seemingly just as confused.“I just made…” An expression of realization dawned across her face.“Do you think pancakes are called pancakes because pan is bread in Spanish or because they’re made in pans?!”

Nomura blinked.She filed this outburst under Strange Human Things Barbara Does, which made her smile.Barbara’s quirks were oddly reassuring.Calming.Something she could genuinely say she liked, even if she was still getting used to that feeling of sort of, kind of, hard to describe affection.That she never was sure how to express vocally.

There were, however, easier methods available.Nomura went over to Barbara and took the pan out of her hands.“I think you need a lesson in cooking.”

“Ok, fair.But-”

Nomura kissed her, cutting off whatever else she may say.Easier methods indeed.If perhaps just a bit more satisfying.

“ _That_ always happens.”Barbara breathed when they broke apart.

“Are you complaining?”

“Well, no.”

“Good.”Nomura leaned in for another kiss and Barbara met her.


	2. Morning Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara and Nomura wake up one morning together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Note for implications of sex.

Nomura woke first.She blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.Saw the dust particles floating in the morning sunlight streaming in through the window.Turned to look at the window itself.Then a vase of daisies on the table by the window.The other, relatively tidy, surfaces of the room.It was a far more peaceful setting than she was used to.

Next to her, Barbara stirred.Murmured something incomprehensible.Rolled over onto her side, but remained asleep.The sheet slipped off and exposed her shoulder.She shivered at the sudden cold. 

Gently, Nomura laid the sheet back up over Barbara.She leaned over and stroked the doctor’s wild, tangled hair away from her face.Then she kissed her cheek.

“Mhmm.”Barbara finally woke.Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Nomura.“You’re making breakfast.”

“Oh?And why is that?”Nomura traced a finger across Barbara’s shoulder.

Barbara reached up and caressed Nomura’s cheek.“You don’t know this about me, but I’m a terrible cook.”

“So?”Nomura captured Barbara’s hand and kissed the pulse on the inside of her wrist.“I’ve tasted you.”She pulled Barbara up and wrapped an arm around her.“And.”She kissed the tip of her nose.“You are.”She quickly pecked her on the lips.“ _Delicious_.”Nomura whispered in Barbara’s ear.

Barbara blushed.“Ok.But that doesn’t have anything to do with breakfast.”

“Doesn’t it?”Nomura captured Barbara’s lips with her own for a kiss.


	3. Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nomura's familiar tries to eat Barbara's hair.

Barbara woke to something tugging on her hair.Half-asleep, she tried rolling over to pull her hair free.A tactic she immediately stopped when she heard a baby’s cry.Barbara’s eyes shot open.

Next to her, little Zelda had her baby teeth clamped down firmly on as much as Barbara’s hair as she possibly could.

“Sweetie, no.”Barbara gently tried to pry her hair from the infant.A move which only served to worsen the situation. 

Zelda grabbed onto more of Barbara’s hair.She clenched her little hands around thick tangles and yanked.Since Barbara was unwilling to use actual force against her adopted child, she was pulled forward.

Zelda giggled, as she suddenly had easier access to so much more of Barbara’s hair.

Barbara sighed.So it would be one of those mornings.“Sweetie, please, I can get you something much tastier to chomp on.”

“I hope you don’t mean your cooking.”Someone laughed nearby.“Because that won’t convince her.”

Barbara turned her head as much as she could.Then glowered at Nomura, who stood over the bed with her phone out (and recording) in front of her.“Not helping,” she grumbled at her girlfriend.“And you are not putting this on the Internet.”

“Oh, but think of the views.‘Baby Eats Parent’s Hair’ has the potential to go viral.I should know.I’ve spent centuries studying what makes humans do things.”Nomura smirked.She sat down on the edge of the bed, but remained careful to keep her phone pointed at Barbara and Zelda.“And you look two so cute right now.”She reached over and wiggled a finger over Zelda’s face.“Who’s a cute, little hair-muncher, hmm?Who?”

Zelda giggled, let go of Barbara’s hair, and slapped her hands around Nomura’s finger.Nomura picked up the baby.She made faces at Zelda, who responded by slapping a hand playfully against her nose.

The distraction allowed Barbara to reclaim her now saliva-dampened hair.She pushed it to safety behind her shoulder.Then smiled at the sight before her.When Jim and Nomura had originally brought Zelda out of the Darklands, Nomura had been concerned that her familiar would be scared of her troll form.Yet Zelda was completely unfazed by one of her mothers being a tall, stone-skinned creature who would fit easily into a horror novel.

Getting an idea, Barbara grabbed the phone from where Nomura had dropped it on the bed.She stopped its current recording and started a new one.“So everyone will believe me when I tell them ‘Nomura acted adorable around a baby’,” she told the changeling when her green eyes turned to watch her.“Or you could just not put your video on the Internet.Either works, really.”

 


	4. Familiarity

“No.”Nomura pushed the crying baby in Barbara’s arms away.“She’ll adjust to you.Infant familiars are well-behaved.They-”

“Does this look well-behaved, Nomura?”Barbara snapped.Once again she held out little Zelda to Nomura.“It’s 3am.She’s hungry.She won’t led me feed her cause I’m a scary human, which means you have to.Take.The.Baby. _Please_.So we can all go back to bed.”

Nomura looked at her familiar, who was crying at the top of her lungs.Her little face red and scrunched up.A much different version of her than the one Nomura had seen the few times she’d checked in on Zelda while she still remained in the Darklands Nursery. _That_ version always was calm, sleeping, or giggly.To be fair, that version also had a horde of goblins to look after her to keep her content.Also known as the cause of this entire problem.

Zelda had been born in the 1800s.She’d gotten a few months as a normal baby on the surface before being stolen so Nomura could assume her place.Through the next two centuries, she’d lived in the Darklands, with only those same goblins for companionship.

The result, of which, turned out to be that Zelda liked trolls better than humans.Humans freaked her out.With the sole exception of Jim, who’d been there when they’d retrieved her from the Darklands, the mere presence of a human (specifically Barbara more often than not) would make her cry.Like she was now.

Nomura braced herself.She wasn’t the nurturing-type.She never had been.She never particularly wanted to be.But she’d agreed to do this.Even if she’d rather not, she must do this.She was clearly a troll and trolls didn’t faze Zelda in the slightest.

“Very well.”Nomura held out her hands so Barbara could carefully transfer Zelda over to her.Immediately, the baby stopped crying.She gurgled happy noises up at Nomura.

“Now the bottle.”Barbara held it out to her.“See.You got this,” she added when Zelda easily latched on to the bottle and began feeding.

Nomura didn’t say anything, but quietly felt proud of herself.Though, she was still relieved when Zelda fell back asleep and they were allowed to return to bed.


	5. Towels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue based on a prompt found on Tumblr (here: cream-cheese-and-bagels.tumblr.com/post/173552752317/otp-imagine-88-person-a-hey-babe-come-to-the)

“Hey babe?Come to the shower.I may need a little help.”Nomura heard Barbara call from the bathroom.

She waited a minute to see if Barbara would say anything else.When the doctor didn’t, Nomura put down her book, pushed up off the bed, and stretched.Then she padded over to the bathroom door.“Okay.I’m here.”She knocked on the half-open door.Nomura peered inside the room.

Barbara poked her head out of the shower.“Can you hand me the towel please?”

The towel was on its bar, right next to the shower.Nomura raised an eyebrow.“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Please?It’s warm in here and cold out there.”

Nomura went over to the towel.She ran her hand over it and slowly picked it up.Then she made a point of making eye contact with Barbara.With a smirk and the towel in hand, she walked out of the room.

“Nomura!Bring that back!”Barbara yelled after her.

Nomura yelled back.“If you want it, you have to come and get it!”She sat back down and resumed reading about ancient Greek pottery.The towel in a heap next to her.


	6. Sprouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dressing wound scene after the wolf attack in the animated Beauty and the Beast but with Barbara and Nomura. Written for Yellow Magical Girl on Tumblr.

“If you hold still, it’ll be over quicker.”Barbara reached for Nomura’s arm.

Nomura snarled, showing her fangs.“It _stings_.”She held her injured arm away from Barbara.

“Yes, I know.”Barbara huffed.“But you don’t want it to get infected, do you?”She held out her hand expectantly again.

Nomura’s nostrils flared.She looked between Barbara’s outstretched hand and her face.She lowered her hand toward Barbara’s.Stopped.Managed finish the act and place her hand in the physician’s.“You shouldn’t have gone running off.The forest is dangerous at night.There are _wolves_.”

Barbara squeezed the water out of a damp cloth with her free hand.“Oh really?I had no idea.It isn’t as if I got attacked by them or anything.”

“You should never have left!”Nomura shoved her face right up in front of Barbara’s. Her fist clenched.She yanked her hand away.“We made a deal.One that you too easily broke.”

“Because you scared me!”Barbara snapped back.“You honestly expect me to stay when you yell at me for a minor mistake like wandering into the wrong wing of your giant castle?I agreed to your terms to save my son from this fate, but I will not put up with cruelty.”

“Your son needed to be punished for trespassing!”

“My son was a child seeking shelter from a storm!”

The two glared at each other.Neither blinked.

Then, “Give me your hand.”Barbara held out her own.“I won’t ask again.”

Nomura relented.She clenched her free hand as Barbara tended to the deep gouges the wolves had slashed in her stone arm.The process was thankfully over quickly.In her years as the town physician, Barbara had become quite adept at dressing wounds.

“There.That should do for now.”Barbara sat back and inspected her work.Nomura wasn’t human, so she didn’t bleed normally.But still, a slimy life substance that concerned her leaked from the wounds.“I wish I had access to my garden.If I did, there are some herbs that would-”

“I have a greenhouse.Come.”Nomura shoved herself out of her chair.She marched toward the door and went through it.She did not look back to see if Barbara had followed.

Barbara hesitated.She looked to the enchanted clock, Otto, and candelabra, Walter.Both were hiding in the corner of the room to avoid their mistress.Neither offered advice or reassurance.So Barbara made up her mind and followed Nomura.She had to sprint to catch up to her.

Barbara’s breath caught in her throat when Nomura opened the greenhouse doors and revealed a wondrous world of glass windows and botanical life.She could see tall palm trees toward the back and little sprouts with fuzz that had yet to shake off toward the front.She smelled the cool, dampness of the rich soil and was reminded of home, of mornings she’d spend tending to her medical herbs or her small vegetable plot.

“There should be healing plants somewhere in here.”Nomura said.“I have not tended to it in some time, so I do not know the state they are in.”She looked at Barbara.Took in the expression on the physician’s face.It was the first time she’d seen her smile.“If, if it will bring you joy during you stay, than this room and everything in it will be yours to do as you wish.”She turned to go.

“Thank you.”Barbara called after her.She reached for Nomura’s arm to stop her from leaving, but Nomura herself turned back before she could.Barbara instead rubbed one of her forearms with the opposite hand.“And thank you, for earlier.For saving my life.”

“I…I will do what I can to make your stay comfortable.”With a flick and swish of her cape, Nomura was gone.Barbara was left alone to plan out how she’d organize her new gardens.


	7. Morgana's Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara makes a deal to save Jim's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not technically too romantic, but it takes place in an au where Barbara and Nomura are together so I'm throwing it here too.
> 
> Will probably later switch chapter order so both Paris parts will be together.

“It’s ok, Mom.I’ll be fine.You’ll see.I’ll—” Jim coughed, and then again, and again.

Barbara gently got him to lie back down.He wouldn’t be fine.That much she knew.After years of treating injuries, she knew when one couldn’t be mended and Jim’s…Jim’s were fatal.He would grow weaker and weaker until, by tomorrow, he would be dead.

Her son, her beautiful boy, wouldn’t live past sixteen.

And there was nothing she could do.All her skills as a doctor were useless.

“Rest now.”Barbara carefully kept her face blank.No need to worry Jim.“I’ll be back with some medicine later.”She stroked his hair.

Jim smiled at her.“Thanks, Mom.”

Barbara forced herself to smile back.Then she turned on her heel so he wouldn’t see the tears pooling in her eyes.She hastily exited the medical tent before she broke down completely.

“Dr. Lake?How’s Jim?Is he going to be ok?”Claire spoke to her the moment Barbara stepped out of the tent.

“I-I’m sorry, Claire.”Barbara took a deep breath.“You should be with him.He’d want to see you.”She ran before the girl could ask any more questions.Out of the war camp.Deep into the woods.Hopefully where no one would disturb her.

What kind of doctor was she?What kind of mother couldn’t heal her own child?For that matter, what kind of mother let her son get caught up in a troll war to begin with?

_It should be me._

Barbara sat down on a log and buried her face in her hands.

“Barbara?”

“Go away, Nomura.”Barbara sighed to the ground.“Just leave me alone.I want to be alone.”

Nomura stepped into the clearing, crossed her arms, and scowled.“It’s not safe out here.The Gumm-Gumms could attack at any moment.This spot is not defensible.”

“I said, _go away,_ ” Barbara snapped.Sighed again.“Give me a minute?I just need a moment alone.Then I’ll be back to camp.”

Nomura didn’t reply, but Barbara heard her walk away.She wouldn’t go too far, that Barbara knew.Not until she knew Barbara was safe.

The world fell completely silent.Still.Still enough that Barbara should have been worried if her brain wasn’t distracted by the impending death of her son.

“You should have listened to her,” The feminine voice whispered in Barbara’s ear.“Anything can happen to a poor, little human out on her own.”

Barbara jumped.“Wo’s there?”

“Someone who can help you, little human.All you have to do is ask.”

“Ask what?”

Morgana materialized in front of her.“How I can help you save your son.”

“You-you can do that?No.”Barbara shook her head.“You wouldn’t.You’re-”

“Someone else who knows what it’s like to lose their child to a war of Merlin’s creation.”Morgana sat down, or appeared to (it was hard to tell exactly what she was doing since she wasn’t quite corporeal), next to Barbara.“Merlin sought my son, Mordred, and used him just as he has your Jim.”She paused, arguably because her words pained her, but it was hard to be certain.“And my Mordred died due to a battle of Merlin’s creation.Just as your Jim will.”

“I…”

“But,” Morgana’s voice was soft in her ear.Comforting.“I have many magicsSome, like Merlin, would call them evil.”With a quick gesture, she healed all of Barbara’s cuts and bruises, the redness around her eyes from her crying.“I like to think they have many other, better, uses.There is no reason why your Jim should perish by Merlin’s doing as my Mordred did.”

Barbara examined herself.She felt better than she had in weeks.Since the fighting had begun.“I…I didn’t know you could do that.”Merlin had told her over and over again he couldn’t use _his_ magic for healing.That injuries had to heal themselves.That her knowledge as a doctor would be enough to save those wounded in battle.

“No, you wouldn’t.Merlin is quite the deceiver.He wouldn’t want you to know anything about me that didn’t paint me as his personal villainess.”Morgana cupped the side of Barbara’s face in her hand.“Now, tell me, little human, will you let me help you save your son?As a fellow mother?”

“I…”Barbara looked down.A quiet voice in the back of her head told her she shouldn’t listen.She should find Nomura and leave.But Jim was still going to die and, if there was a way to save him.If there was a way to save him, she had to take that chance.“What do you need?”

Morgana smiled kindly at her.“Oh, not much.Come now, let’s find that lovely friend of yours and return to your camp.Your child needs you.”

* * *

 “Give her back!”Barbara yelled.Her voice cut over the battlefield, the fires, and the remains of fallen trolls.Those who lived stared at her.

Morgana chuckled, and it had to be Morgana, Nomura would never.Not like _that_.“Oh, look, the little human is sad.”She approached Barbara, swinging around Nomura’s khopesh with ease.“Does she regret her deal?”She cupped Barbara’s chin in her hand—Nomura’s hand—and something in Barbara screamed at that.“But a deal’s a deal.You offered a soul for your son’s life.”Morgana paused.“Did you truly believe I would want yours?”

“Mom, what’s she talking about?  Mom?  Mom!”  Barbara heard Jim behind her.  He was fine now, of course he was.  That was supposed to be the deal.  Morgana save his life with her magics where Barbara’s medicine had failed and, in return, Morgana take a soul–her soul specifically.

“Please, I will do anything.  The deal was between _us_.  Let Nomura go.”  Barbara whispered.  She couldn’t bear the thought of Jim overhearing this.  But she was so tired.  Of losing, of the deceptions, of her heart aching.  “Take me instead.”   _I can’t be broken anymore_.

Morgana’s lips twisted into a grin.  “Oh, my little human, I never said you would’t be mine too.”  She reached out a couple fingers and placed them against Barbara’s forehead.  “Now, you are.”

Pain spread out into Barbara’s head from the point of contact.  She knew no more.

“Mom!”Jim started to rush toward Barbara.

“Jim!  Jim, it’s too late.”  Claire grabbed onto his arms and held him back.  “Trust me.  I know.  She’s gone.”

“NO!”  Jim struggled to pull free of her.  If he could just reach his mom.  He knew he could reverse whatever Morgana had done to her.  “Mom!   _MOM_!”

The woman who’d fallen limp before Jim’s eyes, the one who’d once been his mother, straightened and turned to face him.  Blood-red magic flickered around her.  She cocked her head curiously at him, but there was no recognition in her eyes.  “You are the Trollhunter.  I will kill you.”  She turned back to Morgana.  “Will that please my lady?”

“Yes, my love, that will please your lady very much.”  Morgana smirked at Jim.  She stroked her new paladin’s cheek in what once could have been a loving gesture between girlfriends.  “Now, do as your lady bids you and kill them all.”


	8. Paris (Part 1 of 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While trying to acquire a surprise for Nomura while on their honeymoon in Paris, Barbara runs into a mysterious woman who helps her out.
> 
> Mystery Woman's identity will be revealed in Part 2

Barbara awoke to morning sunlight falling across her face and the distant sounds of Paris rousing for the day.She wiped away the sleep from her eyes and yawned.For a moment, she was content to remain settled in bed.Then, she looked over to where Nomura still slept and smiled.

It was a rare occasion when, between the two of them, Barbara got up first.Usually, by the time she opened her eyes, Nomura had already gotten dressed and started on her makeup routine (unlike Barbara, who didn’t see the point in bothering most of the time since looks weren’t really a priority in the ER, Nomura was committed to making herself beautiful (more so than she already was) each morning).Many a morning, Barbara had spent lazily watching her before getting out of bed herself.

Today, however, she was gifted the treat of witnessing Nomura peacefully slumber on.Barbara leaned over and kissed her new wife’s cheek.Nomura stirred, but didn’t awake.

“Shhh.”Barbara gently pulled their blanket up over Nomura.“I’ll be back soon,” she added after an idea popped into her head.“I’m going to go get you a surprise.”Barbara wrapped one of the spare blankets around herself so she wouldn’t get cold and slipped out of bed.

Now, to find some clothes.

After some rummaging in her suitcase, Barbara managed to pull out a light yellow sundress.She padded into the bathroom and made herself presentable, or at least presentable enough to go walk to the little bakery (boulangerie? since this was _Paris_ ) they’d passed on their way in to the hotel.

Barbara found herself staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.She looked nice.Not necessarily younger, but she hadn’t been trying for that.But nice.It wasn’t weird, necessarily.Just different.She was so used to throwing on whatever scrubs happened to be clean that seeing herself in something (pretty?) felt off.Barbara wrapped a stray lock of hair around her finger and debated pulling it up into a bun or something.But that’s what she did for _work_ and this was her _honeymoon_ (albeit her second one) and it was in _Paris_.She left her hair down around her shoulders.

Down on the street, the world was chaotic and daunting.People rushed past Barbara, going about their daily business.Suddenly, she realized she was a long way from home and she didn’t know much French.

Barbara gulped.Which way had it been again?She didn’t remember.They’d been traveling for so long and they’d just wanted to be able to relax when they arrived, so they hadn’t figured anything out really and-

“Bonjour!”A woman tapped Barbara’s shoulder and she jumped.The woman laughed, a light and fluttery sound, and then said something in French.When Barbara didn’t answer, she asked, “Americaine?Anglais?”When Barbara nodded, she switched to English.“I’m sorry for startling you.You look a little lost.Is there something I can help with?”The woman had a lovely accent.Not French nor one that Barbara recognized, but it gave her voice a melodious note. 

“I…um…” Barbara started, but found her mind drawing a blank.The woman was…Barbara didn’t really know how to describe her.She had a braid of thick, black hair over one shoulder.Her dark eyes were friendly and her lips smiled.But there was something about her-she _was_ beautiful-but it wasn’t that.Being near her, Barbara felt she was in the presence of _someone_.Someone very old, but she looked around Barbara’s age.Or did she?That had been Barbara’s first thought, but now she seemed younger.No.Older.Barbara blinked.Now she was confused.

“Are you alright, miss?”The woman put a hand on her arm and peered into her face.“I truly did not mean to startle you.”

“Oh.Oh, no.Oh, I’m sorry.”Barbara blushed.“I-yes, I’m fine.We just got in yesterday.”And haven’t actually gone anyway because we were busy with other, _unmentionable_ things, but Barbara didn’t say that part.“I’m trying to find this bakery I think I saw when we arrived, but, I-sorry I guess I’m a little intimidated by it all.”She tried to laugh like the woman had, but it came out too forced in her opinion.

“That’s perfectly alright.I know of a wonderful one down that way.”The woman pointed down the street to their left.“Here, I’ll take you there.”She offered out her hand. 

Barbara found herself taking it without hesitation, which made a part of her worry.She felt she could trust this woman with anything and that was strange.

“So, tell me, what brings you to Paris?”The woman asked when they started walking.

“I-we just got married.”Barbara took a breath to clear her head.“We’re on our honeymoon and…” Her gaze wandered to a street stall selling flowers of all sorts.

Back in Arcadia, when they’d go on picnics together, Nomura always loved it when Barbara made her flower crowns out of wild buttercups (not that she’d ever admit that to anyone else though).

“Sorry, do you mind if we stop for a minute?”Barbara’s original plan had to be to surprise Nomura with breakfast, but the idea of bringing her back flowers was too appealing to resist.“My wife, Nomura, likes flowers.Although don’t tell her I told you that.I was planning to surprise her.”

“How wonderful!Of course!”The woman grinned.She pulled Barbara over to the stall (she was significantly stronger than Barbara had first assumed).“We will pick out _Nomura_ out a truly marvelous bouquet!”

In the end, what Barbara had planned to be a quick trip took almost an hour.Picking out just the right flowers took time (and Barbara admittedly wanted some that she could use for flower crowns too) and then the woman insisted on buying her a sweet pastry when they arrived at the bakery.

Nomura hadn’t woken up yet when Barbara finally returned.Barbara put all her surprises down on their table and then walked over to the bed.She sat down on its edge and put her hand on Nomura’s shoulder, which was enough to wake her.

“Hey, I got us breakfast.”Barbara whispered to Nomura when she opened her eyes.“And a little something extra for you.”

“What’s that?”

Barbara grinned.“You’ll just have to come see.”She stroked Nomura’s cheek.“Also, I met someone who said she was a friend of yours,” Barbara whispered in her ear.“This wouldn’t by chance be the same mystery friend we’re meeting later today, would it?”

“That depends.”Nomura sat up.“What did she look like?”

“Long, black hair and a lovely accent.”Barbara paused.“I’m fairly certain she was some kind of immortal too.”

Nomura let out a breath.“That would be her.”She glanced at the clock.“We have a little time.Come back to bed?I’m cold.”She ran a hand up Barbara’s arm.“And you are so very warm.”

“Well, I am a bit tired after that adventure.”Barbara grinned and joined her under the covers.


	9. Paris (Part 2 of 2)

“You look wonderful.”Barbara wrapped her arms around Nomura’s waist.She kissed her on the cheek.Then gazed at their reflection in the mirror.“It’s going to be fine.”

“You.”Nomura wiggled around to face Barbara.“Are a biased source.”

“So what if I am?”Barbara tried to kiss Nomura again, but Nomura turned her head.“I know you better than anyone.”There was a brief hesitation where her expression said, _right?You promised you’d always be truthful with me.You haven’t gone back on that?_ But it passed.

Still, it made Nomura ache inside that it had happened at all.She didn’t comment on it, though.“Barbara, it’s been a long time since Diana and I have seen each other.”Which begged the question of why Diana wanted to meet at all, considering how they left things, but _that_ wasn’t something she was going to bring up with Barbara unless she had to.“It’s…”

“You stole something from the Louvre, didn’t you?”

Nomura froze.“How did you know that?”

“I didn’t.”Barbara smiled at her in the mirror.“But I know _you_ and I’m pretty good at figuring things out.I have to be to make diagnoses.Anyway, you wouldn’t be this nervous about seeing her again if something like that hadn’t happened in the past.”She took a deep breath.“You always get this look on your face when you’re thinking of old Janus Order things.”

“Oh.”Nomura tried not to wince.She’d spent centuries perfecting not revealing anything through her expressions.She didn’t really need that skill now, but she’d prefer not to lose it.

“Babe.”Barbara ran her hand through Nomura’s hair.“It’s not that hard for me to figure out what’s going on in that head of yours, but I’m sure it still is for everyone else.Okay?”

Nomura let out a breath.“If you say so.”

“I do say so and we should get going if we’re going to try to be on time.”Barbara unwrapped herself from around Nomura and exited the bathroom.

Nomura snorted.“I’m not the one who refused to get out of bed for an extra half hour.”

“I was sleepy after getting you surprises this morning.”Barbara laughed.“Which you enjoyed so there.”

Nomura rolled her eyes.They finished getting ready.Barbara managed to steal two more kisses.One one Nomura’s nose and then a quick one on her lips.After that last one, Nomura pulled her in for a longer, lingering kiss.

They were twenty minutes late to lunch.

Diana was patient.She sat reading a book when they approached her table at the little cafe they’d agreed to meet at.She looked up at their approach and smiled.

“Barbara.”Nomura began.“Meet Diana Prince.Diana, this is Barbara.My wife.”


	10. Pokemon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara and Nomura play Pokemon

“Hey Jim, what was so important—?”

“Shut up.”Jim rushed Toby and Claire into his house before Toby could finish.He hurried them halfway up the stairs before stopping.Jim glanced in the direction of his house’s tv area, but there was nothing immediately visible to either Toby or Claire that would warrant such actions.

“Wow, Jimbo, rude much?”

“I said be _quiet_.”Jim crept back into the hallway.He glanced past the entryway into the the tv area toward the dining table, but quickly retreated to the safety of the stairs.“There’s something you guys have to see, but, if they know we’re watching, they’ll probably stop.”He whispered as loudly as he dared.

Now curious, Toby and Claire followed him over to the entryway, where they too got to see the strange sight at the dining table.

“Wait, is that—?”Toby began.

“My mom.”

“And Nomura?”Claire added.

Toby continued, “And are those?”

“Our old Nintendo 3DSs?Yup.”Jim nodded.“Just watch.You’ll get it in 3, 2, 1…”He gestured to where Barbara and Nomura sat with the gaming devices.

Nomura yelled.“How _DARE_ you!”She jumped up, placed her hands down on the table, and scowled at Barbara.“I was going to _win_ this battle.You had no right to—”

“No you weren’t.”Barbara replied calmly.She smirked.“There is no beating my Charizard.None.”

“There really isn’t.Trust me, I’ve tried.”Jim whispered to Claire and Toby.

Claire started, “When did you—?”

But she was cut off by Nomura, in the other room, protesting.“But this creature you told me would be strong, this Vaporeon, should have easily defeated your orange dragon beast.It is the water type and water puts out fires.That is what you said. _I_ should’ve won.”

“Not this time.”

“Fine.”Nomura sat back down.“At least trade me back my evolved Slurpuff.”

Barbara sat back in her seat.“Sorry, that wasn’t the deal.You have to beat me at least once first.”

“Man, your mom is _harsh_.”Toby commented to Jim.

Jim shrugged.His mom almost always had been when it came to Pokemon.At least since he’d been a little kid who got frustrated at her for initially always letting him win whenever they battled against each other (granted he wasn’t exactly happy she’d gone from too easy to beat to way too difficult in less than thirty seconds, but still).

In the direct aftermath of his dad walking out on them, Barbara had purchased a couple games in the hopes it would distract him.She’d sit and play them with him (and listen to him go on about all his Pokemon friends and their nicknames) before Jim started playing with Toby when she frequently had to leave him at the Domzalski house since her shifts during her residency were nightmarish.Before that, it was a good memory.Now it was just amusing to watch her kick Nomura’s butt.


	11. Rainy Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dialogue partially based off a prompt post on Tumblr (here: your-bus-driver.tumblr.com/post/174157692719/otp-prompt-121)

“Do we have to go out?”Nomura groaned.She eyed the world outside the window.Heavy rain poured down.The idea of walking out in it, even for a date night, was not appealing.

Padding in from the kitchen, Barbara answered, “Do I look like I’m going out?”She held up a steaming cup of hot cocoa complete with whip cream and marshmallows.She sat down on the couch, wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and patted the spot on the couch next to her.Barbara thought for a moment.“Have you ever had a snuggly movie night before?”

“No.”Nomura sat down.“Scoot over.I’m intrigued.”

“See.”Barbara wrapped an arm around Nomura.“What you do is cuddle up close to someone you love.Like this.”She pulled Nomura in close.“And choose a cheesy romantic movie to watch with them.Or.”She pecked Nomura on the lips.“Knowing us, a horror film would be so much better.”

Nomura intertwined her fingers with Barbara’s.“Oh, I agree.”

 


	12. Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before their wedding, Nomura sneaks in to see her bride.

“You know, it’s unlucky to see your bride before the wedding.”Barbara spoke to Nomura’s reflection in the mirror as the changeling entered the room.

“Oh?”Nomura walked up behind Barbara and placed her hands on her bare shoulders.“And here I thought I wed you an hour ago?”She leaned down and kissed Barbara’s cheek.“Or was it two?”

A part of Nomura reveled in how Barbara didn’t flinch at her troll form.Her fiancee never had, but it was still reassuring.They’d had their human wedding, a quiet affair in Arcadia’s courthouse.Now, it was time for their Trollish one.A part of Nomura did enjoy that it was happening at all.That she could be married as both human and troll.

“I believe it was one and a half.”Barbara placed her hand atop Nomura’s.“And you better leave before Blinky finds you in here.Unless you want him to give you a lecture on breaking tradition and how that brings bad luck.”

Nomura took a lock of Barbara’s hair and twirled it between her fingers.“I never was one for tradition.Or luck.”She paused to grin at Barbara and use her hair to gently pull her toward herself.“I prefer to create my own.”

“Hmm.”Barbara took hold of Nomura’s pointed chin and moved her head so they were facing each other.“Really?Because I think it was my luck that got you in that lovely dress.”Her expression turned wicked.“And what will get you out of it.Later.”She winked at Nomura.

“Must you tempt me?”Nomura whispered in Barbara’s ear.“It would be unfortunate if they were to come for you and find us…” She kissed down Barbara’s jaw to her lips.Nomura hovered mere centimeters from Barbara’s face, relishing the expectation on her fiancee’s face.“I should wait to kiss you.It wouldn’t be very lucky after all.”

“I don’t know whether to laugh or groan.”Barbara sighed.“But, god, do I love you.”She stroked Nomura’s cheek.


	13. Run Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dialogue based on a prompt found on tumblr (here: corvidprompts.tumblr.com/post/176040309729/run-away-with-me-i-cant-my-family-my)
> 
> takes place when they're both roughly college-age. Jim doesn't exist as of yet.

“Run away with me.”

Barbara’s hand froze.Her paintbrush dropped.A streak of red ran across her canvas.She frowned.That would take _ages_ to fix.She barely had time to paint as it was.

She sighed.“I can’t.My family, my friends.I have work in the morning.I have classes.”Barbara retrieved her paintbrush from where it fell and rolled on the floor.She stuck it in her water cup.“It would be stupid to just abandon my life and follow you.”

“Come anyway?”The closeness of Nomura’s voice told Barbara her girlfriend was standing right behind her.

“I…” Barbara closed her eyes.Every rational part of her screamed at her to just say _no_.To come up with more reasons, even if none of them were really good enough.But she _couldn’t_ just give up on med school.Not when her family had invested so much financially to her success.

To betray them—and it would be a betrayal in their eyes—like that?A moment over the holiday break where she had attempted to explain just what Nomura meant to her came to mind.As did their brush-offs.Their refusal to see how she held her girlfriend’s hand.How joyful her voice sounded when she spoke of her.

Youthful experimentation, they’d called it.Something to mature out of in time.It had no place in the life they’d planned for her. _Disgraceful_.

She’d hurt them if she just up and left, though.Hurt all the dreams they had for her.The good they wanted for her.

Barbara opened her eyes.Turned to face Nomura.Intertwined her fingers with the other woman’s.

But then, they’d hurt her first.She took a shaky breath.“Yes.”The smile came easily.“Let’s go.”

And never look back.


	14. Draw Me (Run Away Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rainy evening while Barbara and Nomura are on the road

“Draw me.”

“What?”Barbara looked up from her doodling at Nomura. 

Rain hammered down on the roof of their current home/method of transportation, an old van they’d traded some of Barbara’s best paintings to a hipster for, and nearly drowned out her voice.

Nomura stretched out on their mattress.“I said, draw _me_.I’m tired of watching you doodle everything else.”She maneuvered so she could lay her head down on Barbara’s sketchbook and gaze up at her.“It’s insulting.I’m the prettiest thing here.I deserve more attention than the mini fridge.”

“I was drawing the banana, not the—”

“Ah, ah, ah.”Nomura put a finger to Barbara’s lips.“Less talking and more drawing.”Her hand moved up to cup Barbara’s cheek and then run through her too short hair.“I miss your long hair.”She murmured.

“And I miss shampoo and regular showers, but you don’t hear me complaining about it.”Barbara replied, brushing Nomura’s hand away.She sighed.“You said it looks nice.”She pinched a lock of her shortened hair and rubbed it between her fingers.

Nomura sat up and gazed at Barbara.“I did and it does.”

She shouldn’t have said anything.She hadn’t meant that Barbara looked any _less_.She hadn’t meant _anything_.Not really.She just wondered.

It wasn’t uncommon for young changelings to go AWOL for a while when they first got to the surface.Some considered it a rite of passage, a way to adjust to their new lives.No one missed her.No one would search for her.But Barbara?Barbara had _people_.A _life_.She’d been well aware of that when she’d asked Barbara to come away with her, but hadn’t cared.She’d _wanted_ Barbara.The med student’s family clearly didn’t understand her, therefore they _didn’t_.

But now weeks later, in a rickety old van that they regularly joked would break down beyond repair and leave them stranded, Nomura did wonder if she should have dragged Barbara along with her.

Maybe if she’d left her behind, she’d have a better life.Barbara wouldn’t have to cut off her hair because they ran out of shampoo (and money) and it got unbelievably greasy, at least.

“Nomura, sweetie, if I’m gonna draw you, I need a happier expression than that.”Barbara pulled Nomura out of her head.She reached for the van’s door handle.“Come on, there’s a mother load of free water outside and we’re not taking advantage of it.”Before Nomura could reply, she opened the door and jumped out into the rain.When Nomura joined her, Barbara grabbed her girlfriend’s hands and pulled her into a dance.“Now I want to see you _smile_.”

There was no specific moves to their dancing.Though some were vaguely similar to those they’d learned in a dance class they’d taken together a couple semesters back.But mostly, Barbara led and Nomura followed.If it were anyone else, Nomura would have definitely minded that, but not with Barbara.

Barbara finally pulled her in close.“You love me?”She whispered.

“Always.”Nomura answered.

“That’s all I need.”Barbara rested her head on Nomura’s shoulder.“Because I will forever love you.Okay?”

Nomura kissed her.

Barbara kissed back.Then, breathless, “We should get out of the rain cause I do want to draw you.”

It was a mad shuffle inside the van of collecting all the pillows and blankets they had in a giant heap to cuddle in for warmth.Then, Nomura leaned against the pillows and Barbara leaned against her.Barbara picked up her sketchbook.Nomura watched as scribbly lines came together to form the shape of her, in troll form no less.

“Because troll you is hot”Barbara whispered.

“Hmm.”Nomura replied, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and pulling her in closer.“So you wouldn’t mind another kiss, then?”

Their lips met for the longest moment possible.Then they settled in for the night, cuddling and listening to the rain.


	15. Sleeping Arrangements (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara and Nomura argue about who's sleeping where

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roughly inspired by a Tumblr post (here: im-the-king-of-the-ocean.tumblr.com/post/176484373107/cheeseeatingtrashmonster-aliferous-ly)

“This is your house, I’m not making you sleep on the couch,” Nomura said.She didn’t add that she’d slept in much, much more uncomfortable places that Barbara Lake’s couch.Honestly, she didn’t mind.All she needed was a pillow or a blanket and really she didn’t even need those.

Barbara yawned.“Yeah, but you’re the guest, you should take the bed.”She covered her mouth with a hand.“I’ve come home and crashed on the couch at least a hundred times after long shifts.”She yawned again.“I’m used to it.”

“And you’re extremely tired now.You need a good bed.Go upstairs.”Nomura commanded.

“Too tired to make it up the stairs.”Barbara retorted.She plopped down on the couch and stretched out.“Mine now.”

Nomura rolled her eyes and shifted in to troll form.“You forget I can just do _this_.”She reached down and lifted Barbara up in her arms.Then headed for the stairs.

“Maybe this was my plan all along.”Barbara murmured.She rested her head against Nomura.

Nomura resisted the urge to tease, mostly because it would have meant Barbara would _move_ and she liked the feeling of being this close to her.

She did, however, speak when they reached the upstairs.

“Barbara?”

“Hmm?”

“Jim’s not home, is he?”

“…no.Camping trip.With the school.”

“Oh.”Nomura paused.“So, we’re all alone.”

“Yes.”

The thought hit both of them at the same time.

“In our defense,” Barbara said, as she and Nomura cuddled in bed.“We’ve only been dating two months.”


	16. Sleeping Arrangements (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> roughly based off a Tumblr post (here: im-the-king-of-the-ocean.tumblr.com/post/176484373107/cheeseeatingtrashmonster-aliferous-ly)

“Move over bitch, I’m taking your bed.”Anyone else probably would have thought twice before saying such words to a changeling, but not everyone was Barbara.She was well aware she could have been more polite about the matter, but she was extremely tired in a “I don’t want to try and navigate Nomura’s chaotically messy apartment, potentially trip and fall, and break a bone” kind of way.

Nomura cracked an eye open.“It’s _my_ bed.”

“I’m the guest.”Barbara plopped down, one arm thrown over Nomura’s lean body.She snuggled into one of Nomura’s pillows.She closed her eyes, so she could only hear Nomura moving.Then there was a great weight on her.Barbara opened her eyes.

Nomura lay on top her.Her head rested on her hands, which were rested flat against Barbara’s chest.She gazed at her.“We share or no one sleeps.”

Barbara smiled.“Okaaay.”She whispered.She tried to make it a seductive whisper, but it had been a while since she’d ever done anything of the sort.

For a moment, all Nomura did was stare at her.Then she rolled off her, but pulled Barbara in close, took her chin in her hand, and kissed her.


	17. Worth The Risk

Originally, it was just due to chance.Barbara’s house happened to be closer to the hospital and honestly?Nomura trusted Barbara.An honor she could not say extended to any other human.So she risked it.In an hour of need, when her arm stuck out from her body at an odd angle and _hurt_ , Nomura went to Barbara for help.

Soon it was that, after every fight, Nomura disregarded both the hospital and the trollish equivalent and went to the one person who never looked at her with scorn, even after she’d been told of the truth of Nomura’s existence.The entirety of it.

The humans couldn’t be trusted.The wrong x-ray.The wrong question.The wrong _anything_ and Nomura would be shipped to the nearest secret facility and experimented on.A creature who wasn’t quite human.How _fascinating._ How _intriguing._ How easy to strip away it’s humanity and call it a _thing_.

The trolls weren’t any better, though they’d be more direct about ensuing her end.It had been clear from the very first moment Nomura appeared in their Trollmarket as Kanjigar’s successor as Trollhunter that she would never be welcomed.She was a _mistake._ A _disgrace._ Her first week had been full of challenges, fights to the death.Almost.Despite common perceptions about her, Nomura didn’t see the point in killing. _Unnecessarily._ The deaths of a bunch of stubborn brutes, sure, would have been doing the world a favor, but would gain her nothing.Nothing but more scorn.The trolls may hate her with every fiber of their being, but they were still secretly grateful to her for sparing their loved ones.One day, hopefully, that would come in handy.Still, best not to put herself in a situation of vulnerability with them.So, after every fight, Nomura shrugged off her injuries, her _pain_ , as if it were nothing and limped out into the surface world hoping she’d make it to Barbara’s before she collapsed.

It had taken until she’d reached Barbara’s front porch this time for that to happen.Nomura didn’t remember Barbara helping her inside and upstairs to a bedroom and the bandaging process, but the evidence was in favor of those things happening.She was in a bedroom and her injuries had been expertly treated.

For the record, this wasn’t really how Nomura imagined it going if she ever made it to Barbara’s bedroom.

* * *

Barbara splashed water on her face, dried it off as slowly as possible, groaned, and then stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.You are a kind girl, her favorite uncle always used to tell her when everyone else stopped.A kind, sweet, gentle girl who deserves to love however she wants without worry about hate.Barbara had taken that assessment to heart.It was part of why she’d become a doctor.

But now?

No one had ever warned her than love itself could turn to worry.When she’d been younger she’d been so desperate for the _opportunity_ to love that she never stopped to consider that it could hurt her anyway.She wasn’t hurt now.At least not _physically_.But something still ached.Coming home made her heart beat a little bit faster.What if Nomura was there again?What if she’d been waiting and waiting because of how long Barbara’s shifts were?What if she was _too late_?What if?What if?What if?

Barbara closed her eyes.Opened them.

What if Jim was home and she wasn’t when Nomura came?What would he say?Do?The kid barely trusted her as it was.She didn’t know much about his life before she’d become his foster parent.But, the way he acted sometimes.Barbara could _guess_.Would Nomura remind him of things past?What right did she have to put him at risk of such reminders?But if Nomura didn’t come to her, what would happen?She certainly wouldn’t go to anyone else.

Would she die?

Could she let Nomura die?

_No._ The answer came immediately to the forefront of Barbara’s mind. _No, I cannot._

As a doctor, she could not let someone in need die if she could save them.As Barbara Lake, she could not let Nomura.

She’d figure this out.She _had_ to figure this out.In the meantime, Nomura’s bandages would need changing.


	18. Duplicate

“So, you can be anyone?” Barbara ran her hand through Nomura’s silky hair.She’d washed it recently, with the shampoo Barbara loved the smell of.Vanilla or lavender or something—Nomura refused to tell her exactly what and Barbara hadn’t been able to find the bottle anywhere the last time she’d stayed over at her girlfriend’s apartment.“Absolutely anyone?”

“Yes.”Nomura caught Barbara’s hand in her own and held onto it.She brought it to her lips and kissed Barbara’s fingertips.“That’s what it means to be a polymorph.I can become anyone I choose to be.”

Barbara bit her bottom lip, and then asked.“Even me?”

Nomura gazed at her a long minute.Then she released her hand and stood up.Transformed.

Without really thinking about it, Barbara stood as well.She reached out.Hesitated.Touched Nomura’s face. _Her own face_.Her eyes couldn’t really be that blue, could they?But then, there were the minute details like her barely visible freckles, the not quite symmetry of her eyebrows, and _holy shit_ even the smudges she’d yet to clean off her glasses.All of it was there.But it wasn’t _her_.It was Nomura.

Suddenly, Barbara was thankful for the familiar scent of Nomura’s shampoo.This was strange.Too strange.She sat down again.

Then Nomura was back.Back to her normal self.Beside her.She put her hand on Barbara’s knee in a reassuring gesture.“Sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s fine.”Barbara answered.“That was.That was a little weird.I’ve never.I’ve never seen myself quite like that.Or outside of a mirror.”She grabbed Nomura’s hand in her own.“But you really got all the details.All these little things I thought no one else but me knew about, well, me.”

Nomura pulled her in close.“I’ve been fortunate to have had numerous opportunities to study you.Up close.”


	19. Immortal Us

It was a night of drunken revelry and it was wearing on Nomura’s nerves.Some wealthy so-and-so was celebrating a recent antique acquisition for his personal collection.It wasn’t something Nomura personally cared about.The antique was a fake, and not a very good one at that.Nomura had no investment here, so no inclination to tell the so-and-so about his mistake.She’d only come to appraise the antique for potential stealing, and then take advantage of the lavish party when that didn’t really work out.Now, she’d tired of it all.Inebriated humans were only tolerable until they reached a certain point, and then they became tiresome.

Nomura eyed her possible exit routes and formed a strategy for her egress.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty darling.”

The person who spoke the words only didn’t find herself on the other side of Nomura’s fist because something shining in her ear caught Nomura’s attention at just the right moment.An earring.A near-perfect replication of a type Nomura hadn’t seen in several centuries at that.

Curious.

Nomura turned to face the person, the woman, who spoke.“Pretty and _perilous_ when I need to be.”

The woman grinned.“Ooh, and you have claws too.I like that.Care for dance?”

“With someone as dangerous as me?”Nomura responded.“Really?”

“What’s life without a little danger?”The woman held out her hand.She certainly was something.She wore her hair long, definitely not the popular fashion, and had only adorned it with the barest coating of glitter.Her lips were painted a deep red, and smirking.She had on a necklace that would have been at home in Italy at the height of the Roman Empire.It occurred to Nomura that everything the woman costumed herself with could easily belong in another time and place rather than New York City in 1921.

“What’s your name?”Nomura asked her.She wasn’t suspicious.The trinkets could hardly be real.Just curious.

“Barbara.Quite boring, I know.”Barbara gestured with her hand, as if dismissing the topic.“Now, about that dance, lovely?”

Nomura studied her some more.A dance couldn’t hurt.This _Barbara_ had no idea what she really was.If things got out of hand, she could handle herself.“You’re fortunate that I like your perfume, _Barbara_.”She started toward the dance floor.“And you may call me Nomura.Enough with the silly names.”

“As you wish, _Nomura_.”

 

Their relationship lasted three months, and ended when the Janus Order reassigned Nomura out of the country.She slipped out of the apartment they’d come to share early one morning, before Barbara woke.

It was best to leave before a goodbye could get painful.That way, Nomura would only remember the peaceful way Barbara slumbered, tangled in their sheets with sunlight gently illuminating her hair strewn across the pillows.

Anything else would have reminded her this was just a small moment in time, one she could never return to.

* * *

 In the year 2016, Barbara would welcome a museum curator into her home so her son (the accidental-but-beloved result of her most recent dalliance) could apologize to the woman for breaking into her museum and wonder.

It wasn’t every day one met a specter from their past.Not that this woman, _this_ Nomura, was the same one she’d known briefly (and loved deeply) all those years ago.It wasn’t possible. _That_ Nomura was a _mortal_.Even, if by some miracle, she still lived, she would be an aged woman. _This_ Nomura had to be a coincidence, or a relation at best.

It made Barbara curious, though.If _her_ Nomura ever married, did she ever speak of her?Of the lover she’d met at a soiree who’d persisted in getting a dance out of her and then later abandoned?Not that Barbara held anything against her for that.Given a week or two more and she would have done the same.It just wasn’t good to linger with lovers for too long.Too much attachment and she’d eventually have a problem when they clearly aged and she did not.

Barbara had only made that mistake only once.She would not do so again.

But perhaps another dalliance would be fun.


	20. Have You Ever Wondered About The Dark?

“Have you ever killed someone?”

Barbara asks Nomura one day when they’re in the forest on the outskirts of town.They were hiking up one of the small mountains.They’d read online the view from the top was amazing.Both were desperately in the mood for some quality alone time, where they didn’t have to be on the alert for Jim coming home too.He’d long since known and accepted their relationship, but there was an awkwardness if Barbara and Nomura were being affectionate and he walked in on it.

Nomura tenses, but manages to keep her face blank.“You don’t want the answer to that question,” She answers, and then drinks from her water bottle hoping that Barbara will stop there.She doesn’t.

“Yes I do.”Barbara stops, which makes Nomura stop, since she won’t go on without her.“I think I already know the answer, so it’ll be easier to just say it.”

Nomura exhales.Her eyes turn to the trees high about.A few squirrels dart between their branches.It would be so easy for her to transform, jump, catch them in her troll jaws, break their necks, and eat them.Not that she’d had to resort to squirrel eating in years, but still.The thought occurred to her mostly due to the current topic.

“Yes.I have killed.”Nomura closes her eyes.“Please don’t ask further about them.”The deaths she’d caused didn’t weigh on her like they should.She didn’t want to admit that.Barbara was probably looking for an answer somewhere along the lines of Nomura feeling remorse or sorrow or self-loathing for what she’d done.The truth of the matter was that she felt none of those things.Changelings weren’t assassins necessarily, but they did what they had to when they had to to survive.Then, they moved on.

In total, that meant seven people throughout the past few centuries had met their end by Nomura’s blade.She’d made their deaths quick, painless, but that was all.She killed them for her own safety and she didn’t _care._

“Does that bother you?”Nomura’s voice was quieter, tentative.It occurs to her that Barbara was alone with her, far from civilization.There was no one here to hear if Barbara screams.Not that Nomura would allow her the time to if that was her intent, which it wasn’t.

It was times like these that Nomura wished she knew just what was going on in Barbara’s head.

“I know it should, but it doesn’t.”Barbara finally says.“I know you and…”She looks at Nomura, then looks away.“It’s selfish, but I want to love you.I know there’s probably some kind of moral thing here, but I don’t care.”She runs her hand through her hair.“I have spent most of my life in and out of relationships.None have felt like ours.I want this to work.So, I don’t care.I won’t care.”

“If it helps.”Nomura grabs Barbara’s hand, because maybe she’ll leave and never come back if she doesn’t, despite her words.“I haven’t since we’ve been together, and I won’t ever again.” _Unless it’s to protect your life.In which case, I won’t hesitate._ But she wasn’t sure she wanted Barbara to hear those words just yet.

Barbara knew that she was a changeling, knew about bits and pieces of the darker aspects of her existence.Nomura had slowly divulged more and more of them to her, but Barbara remained far from the completed picture.There were times Nomura wondered, if Barbara knew everything, regardless of what she said, would she still stay?


	21. Sexy Vampire Time

“Listen, when I said I was into biting, I didn’t think you’d do THAT.”

“Do what?”Barbara asks innocently, too innocently for someone currently in a vampire costume.She bats her eyelashes at Nomura.

It had been a _joke_.Well, sort of.They’d been together long enough at this point that a certain amount of comfortableness and familiarity had entered their relationship.Which was fine, great even.It was just, Nomura enjoys _thrills_.So, to spice things up, last night she’d whispered in Barbara’s ear that she was into _certain_ things hoping it would lead to _certain (_ kinky, definitely kinky) situations.

She hadn’t really planned on or expected Barbara to interpret that as “I should dress up like a vampire, decorate the house like it’s Halloween, and bite my girlfriend’s neck to pretend to turn _her_ into a vampire.”A part of Nomura was still attempting to figure out the logical leaps Barbara must’ve taken to reach this conclusion.

“What?”Barbara smirks, which quite frankly is _hot_ considering the deep red of the lipstick she’d put on.“Am I not a _sexy_ vampire?”She walks her fingers up Nomura’s arm to her shoulder.

“I’m not saying you’re not, but this seems like a bit much.”Nomura took Barbara’s hand in her own.She almost resisted kissing her knuckles, but then gave in.“Won’t someone notice?”

“Both Jim and Toby are gone for the weekend and, though Nana could theoretically see into the house because of the unfortunate placement of the windows, she’s not exactly that observant.”Barbara leans in closer, showing off her fake fangs.“I _can_ go clean up the surprise upstairs if you really don’t want it.”

Nomura raises an eyebrow.“Surprise?”

Barbara pulls Nomura toward the stairs.“Why don’t you come find out?”

Nomura grins.


	22. The Past Always Comes Back

“Zelda—”

“Don’t.”Nomura sucked in a breath.“Barbara, just _don’t._ ”

Barbara huffed.“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Does it have something to do with the fact we’re currently tied up in the hold of a ship going who-knows-where because we were kidnapped by some old friends of mine?”

Barbara didn’t immediately answer.Nomura felt her wiggle around her wrists (they were tied back-to-back).Then, she stopped.“Maaaaybe,” Barbara drew out the word.“Though, I wasn’t going to call them _friends_.”

“Just out of curiosity, what were you going to call them?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Zelda, I can’t just curse like that.”

Nomura rolled her eyes.“Jim isn’t here, so I think you can.”

Before Barbara could answer, the door to the hold opened.One of the mercenaries who’d captured them sauntered over.

“Nomura.”He touched the tip of his hat in what would have been a polite gesture in literally any other situation ever.“Always a pleasure.”He glanced at Barbara.“She’s new.”He crouched down in front of the doctor.“You should know, whatever Nomura over there promised you, she’s not going to deliver.She’ll stab you in the back and leave you to take the fall and _rot in prison for thirteen goddamn years_ long before she does!”These last words were yelled at Nomura.

“You knew the dangers of that job going in, Sven.”Nomura snapped.“Don’t blame me for your own failings.”

Sven glared at her for an instant, then he put a sweet expression on his face and turned back to Barbara.“Where was I?Oh yes, we could always use another pretty face in the crew.So whaddya say to—”

“Touch her and I will kill you.”Nomura cut him off.“Slowly and painfully.”

Barbara spoke before Sven could.“That’s sweet, Zelda, but you promised that you wouldn’t kill, remember?”

“Trust me, you’d be okay with the exception in this situation.”

“What he’d do?Steal some priceless paintings?”Barbara thought for a moment.“Or was it irreplaceable artifacts, without which vulnerable civilizations would be left without their cultural history?”

“It involves baby seals,” Nomura answered.

Barbara gasped.“No, not baby seals!”

“Hey!”Sven snapped his fingers in front of Barbara’s face.“ _I’m_ talking to you. _Look_ at me.”

Barbara Rule Number 3’d him.Hard.“It’s rude to interrupt.Was that enough time?”She looked over her shoulder at Nomura, who was just finishing wiggling out of her restraints.

“More than enough.”Nomura stood.Quickly, she untied Barbara.As she and Barbara were walking out the door, she smirked back at Sven.“Always a pleasure.”

Once they were well on their way in a stolen lifeboat from the cargo ship, Barbara told Nomura, “You know you owe me a new romantic date night now, right?”

“Any requests?”

“We haven’t had a train heist adventure yet.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”


	23. Night Questions

“Zelda?”Barbara’s voice breaks the tranquil of the night.

“Yes?”Nomura opens her eyes.For all she tried, she hadn’t really been able to sleep.

There was a moment of silence before Barbara spoke again.“Back on that ship, when you said you’d kill that man if he touched me, did you mean it?”

“It didn’t come to that, Barbara.We made it out of there.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”Barbara rolls over to face Nomura.“What’s the worst thing you’d ever do to keep me safe?The very worst.”

“You don’t want the answer to that.” Nomura looks away.At the moon, high in the sky out the window.

“I do.”Barbara pauses.“I can’t be your moral center, Nomura.I can’t be the only thing keeping you from doing bad things.I can’t hold that weight.I can’t go through that again.So, if that’s what I am to you, than—“

“No! Please, no.”Nomura grabs her hands.“I can’t—your one of the only good things I have—I can’t _lose_ you.” She tightens her grip. “The thought of something bad happening to you, the thought of what he’d do to you—Barbara, I will not put you on a pedestal, but let me protect you.”She puts a finger to Barbara’s lips to prevent her protest. “Yes, you can fight.But let me be there too.”She pulls Barbara in close and almost exhales with relief when Barbara doesn’t protest and instead leans into her embrace.“I will try my best not to kill, but if it comes to _choosing_ your life or an attacker’s.”Nomura holds Barbara against her chest protectively.“I will always choose yours.”

“Alright.”Barbara folded her fingers with Nomura’s.“I just don’t want you to become Anakin Skywalker.”

“What?”

“Star Wars?Revenge of the Sith?”Barbara laughs quietly.“We really need to spend a night watching those movies some time.”She sighs.“Anyway, Anakin was a character who feared the death of his loved one so much that he became fixated on keeping her safe.Eventually, it sort of led to her death and his own destruction.Okay, that whole thing wasn’t exactly executed well in the movie.Honestly it was kind of convoluted, but my point remains.”She she looks up into Nomura’s face and cups it with one hand.“I love you.I do appreciate that you protect me.Especially against guys like that mercenary.But _I’m_ scared I’ll lose you if, if you go too far.”She bits her lip.“Just promise I’ll never lose the ability to look at you and recognize the person I see.”

“Barbara, I—”

“Promise me. _Please_?”

Nomura wasn’t sure she understood what Barbara was asking, but she promised anyway.The action soothes Barbara.She soon returns to sleep, though still leaning against Nomura.Nomura can feel the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

Nomura doesn’t go to sleep.She can’t.Eventually, she carefully reaches over, grabs her phone off the night table, and does some research.

“I am not going to become Darth Vader,” she mutters, after reading a few articles.


	24. Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a Beauty & the Beast au, Barbara worries about her community's ability to celebrate their traditions

It takes Nomura some time to find Barbara.Her ‘guest’ isn’t in any of her usual places.For a brief moment, Nomura fears she fled.Not too long ago, Nomura reneged the condition that Barbara must stay in the castle indefinitely.The physician can go home any time she wishes, and Barbara does from time to time, for visits.But she always, _always_ tells Nomura, and promises to return and help her try to break the enchantment.

Still, Nomura breathes easier when she finds Barbara curled up in the library’s window seat that overlooks the main entrance.For a moment she allows herself to appreciate how the candlelight dances on the physician’s red hair, which, for once, is not in some kind of braid or bun.Then, Nomura speaks.

“Barbara?”

“Hmm?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No.I…”Barbara draw in the condensation on the window with a finger as she speaks.“Just, there’s a holiday I celebrate with my son and some of the other townspeople.It starts tomorrow night.”

_Oh._ Something twists in Nomura’s stomach.She always lets Barbara leave, but she still fears.Regardless of that, she states _,_ “You may go if you so wish.I will have the carriage prepared.”Nomura prepares to leave.

“It’s not that.”Barbara stops her.She gets up and approaches Nomura.“There are those who…” She pressed her lips together, and Nomura knows she’s trying to find the right words.“There are those who would prefer we don’t celebrate, or” her tone heightens in the way that always clues Nomura in to her frustration, “Or who would prefer we didn’t exist at all.It makes it especially hard during this time of year.”

“Oh.”Nomura studies Barbara for a long moment.She looks truly upset, and Nomura _does_ know what it is to be the outcast.“If I may, you can invite your community here.There’s plenty of space.I can have the staff clean out the ballroom.”She offers a toothy grin.“No one is going to mess we a “haunted” castle with tall walls.”

“Thank you.”In an unexpected gesture, Barbara hugs her.

Later, candles glow unimpeded and surrounded by joy, laughter, and frivolity.


	25. Role Reversal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The museum scene with Barbara as Strickler and Nomura as Barbara.
> 
> Also a piece of writing that led up into the creation of my Amulet of Metamorphosis AU

“I can’t thank you enough,” Zelda spoke sincerely to the museum curator.She was exhausted after rushing to the police station directly from the hospital (and from the brief anxiety attack Jim’s phone call had caused).She’d understood that raising a teenager would have unique challenges, but breaking into a _museum_?For a chubby tracker?It just didn’t seem like her Jim. _We’re so lucky she’s not pressing charges_ , Zelda thought, as she eyed the woman walking next to her.

Ms. Lake smiled.“Nothing more than reckless youth running a bit wild, if you ask me.Perhaps, in the future, I could give the boys a personal tour since they seem so eager on getting inside?”

They stopped when they reached Zelda’s car.Jim and Toby peered out from their places in the passenger and back seat respectively.Oh, did Zelda have words for them.So, so many words for them.

“You really don’t have to go through all that trouble, Ms. Lake.”Zelda turned back and replied politely.She opened the driver’s car door and got in the car.

Ms. Lake had stopped at the passenger window and rested her forearms on the car.“It really wouldn’t be.And, please, call me “Barbara.” 

Another smile from _Barbara_ and it suddenly occurred to Zelda just how _cute_ the other woman was. _Focus_ , she reminded herself. 

“I’m sorry we had to meet under this unfortunate circumstance,” Barbara went on.

“There must be some other way I can repay you, too.Coffee?Dinner?Appendix removal?” _Goddammit, brain, that is not how you flirt!_ Zelda internally berated herself. _Appendix removal, seriously?_

“I…” Barbara blinked, taken aback.“Coffee would be a delight.But I’ll have to give a rain check on the appendectomy.”

Zelda smiled.“Looking forward to it, _Barbara_.”

“Likewise.” Barbara turned her attention to Jim.“Watch yourself, little gynt. Next time, the consequences could be more severe.”Then, she walked away.

Jim turned to Zelda, his expression accusatory.“Did you actually just ask the museum curator out on a date?”

“Don’t you make this about me.You guys broke into a museum!”Zelda snapped back.“And for this?”She held up the chubby tracker.“You guys are so grounded for at least a week.”She took a breath to calm herself down and put the key in the ignition.“You got me?”She frowned at Jim and then Toby until they each briefly made eye contact with her.

“Yes, mom.”

“Yes, Dr. Nomura.”


	26. Trust In Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara reassures Nomura before a major operation

“You have a cute nose.”Nomura reaches up and cups Barbara’s face.“Don’t make me break it,” she growls.

Barbara sits on the edge of the hospital bed.She wraps her hand around Nomura’s and squeezes gently.“I know you’re nervous, but—”

“I’m _not_ nervous.”

“Zelda.”Barbara reassures.“It’s okay.I know Dr. Redford.I work with him every day.He’s very good at his job.”She leans over so she can stroke Nomura’s hair out of her face.“And I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Barbara, I’ve healed.I’ve _always_ healed.I don’t need _this_.”Nomura struggles to push herself up again.Numerous machines start beeping.Barbara stops her coworkers gathered at the door from coming in with a determined look and a raised hand.“I can—” Nomura’s eyes squeeze shut.The pain she’s in passes.She gasps.“I’m _fine_.I can _manage._ ”

“No,” Barbara whispers.“You can’t.Please, Zelda, you need this operation.I promise.I wouldn’t let them be doing anything to you if I didn’t trust them.”

Nomura purses her lips.“You know _I_ don’t trust them.”

“Then trust _me_.”

“Fine.”Nomura closes her eyes and rests her head on her pillow.“I do.”Her lips quirk up in a smirk at her word choice.

Barbara smiles back.“Practicing?I didn’t think you were the type.”

Nomura opens her eyes and gazes at Barbara while the other doctors come in and start surgery prep.“Well, you know what they say about doing crazy things when you’re in love.”

Barbara holds Nomura’s hand until they need to put her under the anesthesia and Nomura’s grip loosens. 


End file.
